law_rightBy the end of July 2015, Microsoft will likely have issued a free upgrade to customers already running legal copies of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. But that doesn’t mean Broadwave will be upgrading our customers right away.

Windows 8 users, we know this is disappointing news. It’s frustrating enough not having a start button, but generally trying to navigate through the desktop is a headache in and of itself.

Windows 10 should prove to have a better experience for users, and it is free to upgrade, so why are we waiting? As the saying goes, ain’t nothing in life is free.

Upgrades can be risky. In our line of work, it’s generally considered a good rule of thumb to wait at least six months after a release or until after the first Service Pack is issued before upgrading. It’s a philosophy we feel is in the best interest of our client experience, and here’s why:

Application Compatibility

With this upgrade, clients will need to make sure that all of their applications are compatible with Windows 10. Previous Windows releases have had issues running certain business applications, including Microsoft Office, and this could be the case with the new version of Windows. Microsoft has even issued a warning that while many apps will migrate, some applications and settings may have issues.

Microsoft is also warning users that their antivirus software might not be compatible and that they should upgrade their antivirus software to a version that is designed for Windows 10—in other words, trying to upgrade your Windows 8 to Windows 10 because it’s “free” might leave your systems open to even the simplest of virus attacks.

Windows 10 is changing its default browser to Edge, which has largely been touted as a slow, buggy Chrome-like browser that will probably get better with time—lots of time. IE 11 will still be included, which means that any sites that require an IE version lower than 11 to function will not be accessible from Windows 10. At least not for now.

Hardware Driver Compatibility

Windows will include drivers for the majority of PC/laptop hardware, but it is very possible that some hardware will not work correctly. Network card drivers will cause the biggest disruptions, but other hardware, such as fingerprint readers and web cams, may not function correctly.

Print Driver Compatibility

Windows will include drivers for most of the major printer lines and models, but it is wise to research the printers in advance and verify that the correct drivers are available (this would be an example of something we will be looking for prior to rolling out Windows 10 to our clients). Failure to load the proper print drivers will cause disruptions, and if you upgrade yourself to Windows 10, you could go without those papers.

Windows 10 is flashy and exciting, and we look forward to getting each of our interested clients onto the new version just as soon as we can ensure you will truly get the experience you’re looking for.

In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to your Technology Manager or to contact us directly if you have any questions about our Windows 10 upgrade plan.